This is the novella that started it all and I hope that those of you who haven’t yet checked it out will go give it a chance. I’m also aware that MANY of you have already read Tribesmen and are like: “Stop blogging me about reissues, Adam. Go write a new book!” You’re not wrong! While I’ve been working on various projects (one of them a new novel!), I’ve been focusing on bringing out my backlist in these “author preferred” editions, getting them “in house” while I prepare for Phase II of my career. Doesn’t that sound ominous?

As with all my books: leaving a quick, honest review on Amazon (Goodreads helps too, but pretty please cross-post your reviews on Amazon) helps me get the word out and does a lot to drive sales. It is immensely appreciated.

So what else have I been up to? Well, outside of some stuff I’m NDA’d up the wazoo about, I’ve been trying to stay regular on my YouTube Channel. I’ve put up probably a dozen videos since the last newsletter went out, but a good recent one to start with is probably my Top 5 Scream Factory Releases countdown. Click that subscribe button under the video to stay current:

One last note, I know that a few people who visit the blog are indie authors or associated with indie publishing, so I’ve got to say something quick.

If you’re looking for book design, layout, and/or cover services: my buddy Scott Cole has recently gone freelance and would love to talk with you about your projects. Not only an author, Scott’s laid out every Black T-Shirt paperback release. If you own any of these books: you can tell that his work is a cut above the rest. Too often I’m sent books for review where the writing is great, but the author or publisher were like “design schmesign, I can do this myself” and their books look… uh, not great. You can get in touch with Scott through his Twitter, website, or reach out directly to 13visions@gmail.com to inquire about rates. He’s a good author, a good dude, and a master at design/layout. Tell him Adam sent you.

I’ve been overjoyed by the response to Matt Godfrey’s readings of Video Night (over 130 ratings and reviews on Audible! Have you left one?) and Exponential. But while those novels were a perfect fit for Godfrey’s sultry baritone, The Summer Job demands a more feminine touch. Godfrey referred me to Stacey Glemboski (much like Con Season, Tribesmen, and Zero Lives Remaining narrator Joe Hempel referred me to Godfrey), who, I have to admit, absolutely leveled me with her performance.

Glemboski’s reading and vocal cast of characters is eerie, thoughtful, soulful and sometimes downright scary. I can’t think of a better narrator for this book. A book that Bloody Disgusting called “The textbook definition of a nail-biter... Cesare’s best novel yet.” and LitReactor hailed as having “one the best and scariest openings to a horror novel I’ve ever read…The rest of the novel is equally great.”

While Summer Job has done well, it hasn’t achieved the sales success that Video Night has, and for a long time that’s kind of bugged me. While I’d never say one of my books is better than the other, I will say that The Summer Job feels more personal, a full articulation of the folk horror/satanic panic vibe I was going for.

And, because it’s really flattering, I’ll end this blog with one more blurb, this one from Complex: “Cesare’s latest is a knockout…There’s a potent retro vibe running through Cesare’s work, in general–he’s the closest thing literary horror has to its own Jim Mickle or Ti West.”

Oh, and one more thing: if you were planning on listening to this book shirtless, maybe don’t. Cover yourself with the official Summer Job T-shirt, designed by creepyguy wunderkind Trevor Henderson. You can grab that here.

For the unfamiliar, Exponential tells the age-old tale of a bar full of misfits and losers who must contend with an ever-expanding gelatinous monster if they want to live to drink another day. Since its initial paperback release, the novel’s been one of my most well-reviewed books and I hope that this audio rendition will introduce a whole new audience to this tender piece of monster fiction.

This is the second time that Matt Godfrey’s brought one of my novels to life and I think this one may be even better than his incredible work on Video Night.

As with all of my books, whether you buy and enjoy them via paperback, ebook, or audiobook: reviews are the best way to help more people find them and love them. If you like a book (not just mine, any books, really) please leave a review on Amazon (or Audible, in the case of ebooks). Word of mouth keeps people like me writing and there’s no better feeling than hearing my work is appreciated.

If you’ve already read Exponential and are wondering when I’l have *brand new* material available, the answer to that is: right now.

I’ve got a short story in an incredible shared-universe collection called Welcome to the Show: 17 Horror Stories – One Legendary Venue. Author and editor Matt Hayward put this thing together and the list of talent on display is unreal and humbling. Being included in an anthology with a great table of contents is one thing, but there’s something a little more special about knowing that all of our stories are linked, are part of a larger whole. There are original stories by Brian Keene, Rachel Autumn Deering, Jeff Strand, Mary SanGiovanni, Bryan Smith, John Skipp, and many more. I’m pleased to share the pages with these authors and my Black T-Shirt Books brothers Matt Serafini and Patrick Lacey.

What else is new? Well, not much, busy working on top secret projects and all that, but I did get a chance to talk about my experience at Scares That Care Weekend 2018. And more importantly, got to talk about all the great books, movies, and pins I picked up at the show. You can watch that convention rundown/haul over on my YouTube Channel (but you already knew that, because you’re a subscriber, right?).

But enough about me, this last week there were two big book releases from the Black T-Shirt crew.

First is Triple Axe by Scott Cole. This is out from Grindhouse Press, one of the absolute best cross-genre publishers in the bizarro scene. It’s hilarious and profane and I cannot recommend it more as a weird, mind-expanding slasher beach read.

Next is a reissue of Matt Serafini’s Under the Blade. This remastered, updated edition of Serafini’s taut, frightening, and twisty slasher-thriller is now available in paperback and ebook. But don’t take my word for it, Brian Keene said: “Echoes of horror’s paperback glory days, but spills new blood with a modern protagonist and style. I loved it!”

And even though it came out a few weeks ago, we can’t forget to mention Pat Lacey’s horror-movie-themed novel Bone Saw, out now from Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing.

So those are my big recommendations while you’re waiting for the next Adam Cesare book to drop (and believe me, I’m waiting too, but the wait’s going to be worth it). Like *all* authors, Matt, Scott, and Pat really appreciate (and most times financially benefit) when you leave a quick Amazon and Goodreads review of their books when you’re done.

If you’ve been neglecting to keep up on my YouTube videos or (gasp!) haven’t subscribed to my channel, I’ve been having a lot of fun sharing movie and book reviews over there. Here are a couple of my recent faves:

Probably showing my age here (both how old or how young I am, depending on your perspective), but growing up I had pretty much every action figure, every Zord, every morpher, from the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series. Giant robots, teen hijinks, monsters: the show was definitely my aesthetic. Especially since at the same age (and continuing to today) I was a huge comic book fan and it was one of the few places to get a live-action superhero fix.

Which is why it’s doubly sweet to have a story in BOOM! Studio’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2018 Annual. The book hits comic shops Wednesday, April 25th. If you’re interested in grabbing a copy, be aware that stores *will* sell out, so call your shop and ask them to hold your book, if at all possible. The annual features five stories that connect to the larger Shattered Grid event that’s been going since Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #25, and it’s a massive crossover arc that features shocking character deaths (and a few shocking alternate universe heel turns). The story I scripted involves the the cast of Power Rangers in Space and was illustrated by the incredible Hyeonjin Kim, with colors by Joana Lafuente and letters by Ed Dukeshire.

If you’re a fan of my fiction but not big into comics or the Power Rangers: I still think you’ll find a lot to enjoy in this issue (though I was kind enough to be allowed to play in the Saban Brands’ sandbox, the high-stakes nature of Shattered Grid meant that I got to do some very… on-brand things in my script). But I also have to say: if you’re a comics reader who’s not checking out BOOM!’s Power Rangers line then you’re missing out. Lead writers Kyle Higgins and Ryan Parrot (on the prequel spinoff book Go Go Power Rangers) are creating a user-friendly series that appeals to die-hard fans but at the same time stands alone for casual fans and tells incredibly compelling superhero stories (for example, there’s a standout issue where you meet the failed ’60s Vietnam-era Power Rangers team, great stuff). I’m very grateful to everyone at BOOM! for the opportunity.

Please head to your local comic book store and ask for (nay, demand) the issue. Or, you can order a copy (I think) direct from the publisher. Or, if you’re really not into physical media, then there’s always Amazon/Comixology.

So, that’s about it for news, aside from the Video Night audiobook (narrated by Matt Godfrey) still selling like gangbusters. Have you picked up your copy yet? Please do, and when you’re done leave a review on Audible and Amazon.

Other than that, I’ve been keeping busy with writing the new book (it’s close to finished, any day now), and with keeping my YouTube channel updated with a new video every week. Some recent thumbnails are below, click them to check out reviews for They Remain, Ghost Stories, and a list of reading recommendations you might want to bring to your book club.

Big news! My first novel, Video Night, is now an exquisitely-produced audiobook. Narrator Matt Godfrey (who audio fans may know for his production of Micheal McDowell’s Blackwater) gives an incredible performance here and I am overwhelmed to have such a talent bringing life to a book that’s very near and dear to my heart.

If you’ve been holding off on checking out the book, now’s the perfect time to grab it in this new format. Or, if you’ve read the book when it first came out, now’s the perfect time to revisit. And if you’re a “eh, audiobooks aren’t for me” kind of reader, I think this might be the book that breaks you into the habit. As someone who didn’t consider myself an audiobook guy until recently, I have to say that I now LOVE the format. It’s a great way to supplement my reading while I’m doing the dishes or walking the dog. It’s available on Amazon, Audible and iTunes.

Author and filmmaker Mick Garris (Masters of Horror, Stephen King’s The Stand, Critters 2: The Main Course) calls it “A terrific book. Beautiful and brutal. Heartbreaking and incredibly emotional. I really, really enjoyed it.” And Hellnotes says: “It will upset and maybe even offend. It will trick you and make you wince. But above all else, The Fallen Boys will move you. This is a tale you will never forget, as told by one of the most important new voices in the genre.”

Aaron is flat out my favorite writer from the Samhain-era and I’m so happy he’s chosen to release this incredible novel with us. He’s a master of what I like to think of as tragi-horror, his stories imbued with such verisimilitude and melancholy that they all really put you through the emotional wringer while at the same time shredding your nerves. Which is very different from what the other writers in the Black T-Shirt stable do, but it’s good to mix it up, right?

As with all Black T-Shirt releases: both The Fallen Boys and the Video Night audiobook will live and die on your support. So please pick up a copy (or help spread the word, even if you can’t commit right now) and then consider leaving each a quick, honest Amazon and Goodreads review when you’re finished. It’s how we make our livings and how we get the word out about the books. Thanks!

So just wanted to drop a line and say that I’ve been keeping busy with writing (nothing that I’m able announce yet, but these current projects are going to blow your mind), but I’ve also been chipping away on the YouTube Channel and getting new merch set up.

It’s been over a month since I last updated the ol’ blog, but I’ve been far from sedentary.

Leatherface really wants that Video Night shirt I’m wearing. He could just order his own…

Took a road trip up to Rock and Shock in Worcester, MA earlier in the month and it was just as great as always, even better because Black T-Shirt Books had a huge table with all of our authors in attendance.

A few months ago an editor at BOOM! Studios got in touch with me and asked if I would be interested in pitching a story for this year’sAdventure Time SpOooktacularcomic book.

My response of “Hell yes I would!” broke the email sound barrier.

The annual-sized issue focuses on Peppermint Butler, everyone’s shady confectionary valet. The issue also features stories by Grady Hendrix (the awesome My Best Friend’s Exorcism and Paperbacks from Hell), Nebula and World Fantasy award winner Alyssa Wong (!), and animator and Lovecraft scholar Chris Lackey. The supernaturally-talented Christine Larsen provided the art for my story and her work truly has to be seen to be believed.

Writing for comics has been a lifelong dream and now that I have my first professional comic book story coming out on October 11th, I need your help.

If you want to pick up this fine Halloween-themed issue the best way to do that is to go to your local comic book store before October 11th and ask them to reserve you a copy of the Adventure Time 2017 SpOooktacular. Pre-ordering this way helps me/us/your local small business the most. And I’m sure your local comic book guy/gal would love to see you.

Not something I usually get to say about my work, but: this comic is 100% appropriate for your kids. And the stories stand alone, so even if you aren’t familiar with Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time (you should be, it’s incredible), you’ll still find something to giggle about.